GTA 6 is finally on the horizon, with Rockstar’s most-anticipated game set to release in Fall 2025 – that’s Spring for us Aussies. With the launch of the trailer in December alongside years of leaks and rumours, fans of the franchise are already speculating on what the GTA 6 map will look like on release. Based on Rockstar’s track history, players are likely in for a massive map filled to the brim with small details, nods to iconic real-world locations, and a whole lot to explore.
With all of the official (and leaked) information we have at our fingertips, we’ve collated everything we know about the GTA 6 map so far ahead of our return to Vice City. Let’s get into it.
GTA 6 Map Leaks & Rumours
- May 17, 2024:
- December 6, 2023: God I Hope My Xbox Series S Can Run GTA 6
- December 5, 2023: GTA 6: Everything We Learned From The Trailer
- September 22, 2022: GTA VI’s Vice City Is Already Being Mapped Using MS Paint, Google Earth, And Maths
Where will GTA 6 be set?
GTA 6 is set in the state of Leonida, based on real-world Florida and home to Vice City and beyond. Vice City itself is also based on a real-world location, specifically the city of Miami. Fans might recognise the iconic location from the 80’s-inspired Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and the PSP title Vice City Stories, although given Rockstar’s upcoming title is decidedly much more modern-day, we’re likely to see the neon-soaked streets of old receive bit of a facelift in the GTA 6 map. It’s not all about Vice City, though, with the game expected to feature a range of other locations surrounding the big city, and the trailer has plenty of clues as to what these locations might be – from sun-soaked beaches, bayous and swamps, to the outer suburbs.
GTA 6 Location Settings
While we don’t have the official GTA 6 map just yet, the volley of clips in the trailer showcase a number of different locations that could appear in the final game.
NINE1NINE
In the opening shot of a large beach, there’s a plane flying a banner with the words ‘NINE1NINE’ emblazoned on it – and while this could be a possible tease at a release date of September 19, keen-eyed fans seem to think this could also be a reference to the real-world Miami nightclub, E11EVEN. If that is the case, the GTA 6 map could include a glitzy nightclub by this name – its IRL counterpart has been host to global stars, making it an ideal reference point for exactly the kind of vibe modern-day Vice City seems to have in the trailer.
Vice Beach
Speaking of the large beach in the GTA 6 trailer opening, we get a look at the massive foreshore which is more than likely Vice Beach (also known as Vice City Beach). It’s a pretty spot-on recreation of Miami Beach, and in GTA: Vice City, was a major part of the game’s map. Much like the real Miami Beach, Vice Beach has three districts: Vice Point, Ocean Beach, and Washington Beach. How the original Vice City’s beach will shake out on the GTA 6 map when it comes to scale and names is still a mystery, but given we’re likely in for a major map size upgrade, it’s safe to say that it’ll be pretty big.
Vice City Sign
We get a very quick glimpse of the Vice City sign in the trailer, much like the Hollywood sign in real life. Whereabouts on the GTA 6 map this sign will be isn’t clear yet.
Vice City Boardwalk
One shot of a bustling night-time street filled with expensive cars and art deco style street signs in the trailer appears to reference the original Vice City boardwalk, which is itself a reference to the real world Ocean Drive in Miami – complete with the art deco signs, bars, and glitz you’d expect from the city, as well as what looks like a recreation of the Colony Hotel (called the Boardwalk Hotel here). What this location will be called on the GTA 6 map isn’t one hundred percent clear just yet, though.
Port Vice City
The GTA 6 trailer features shots of people joyriding through a sea port, which based on the background details on a highway sign appears to be called Port Vice City, a shift from the original game’s VicePort location. What better spot to evade cops or get up to no good on the GTA 6 map than a port filled with shipping containers and speedboats for a quick getaway? It also appears that Port VC will be located in the same direction as the Keys, based on street signs.
Leonida’s own Wynwood
The GTA 6 map will likely have all sorts of niche references to Floridian locations, but a quick glimpse of a street filled with colourful murals and lowriders in the trailer appears to be a nod to Wynwood, Miami’s arts and entertainment district which is known for the Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum showcasing massive works from street artists.
Island City
Given Miami’s (and Vice City’s) seaside location, the inclusion of a bustling city in the middle of a small island is par for the course for the GTA 6 map. One shot in the trailer showcases one such location, which appears to be based on Biscayne Island which connects Miami and Miami Beach. This GTA 6 spot is almost a centimetre by centimetre reconstruction of the real-world spot, from the toll booths, carpark and pool at the entrance, and the high-rise buildings.
Vice City Airport
While we don’t see the actual airport in the trailer, a highway sign indicates that Vice City does appear to have an airport that could make an appearance on the GTA 6 map. Most of the other Grand Theft Auto games have featured an airport in some capacity, generally with some sort of plane-flying hijinks to follow.
Other Locations
GTA 6 fans have been hard at work since the trailer reveal trying to link landmarks spotted in the video to real-world locations. One such location is a basketball arena that bears a striking resemblance to the Kaseya Center, seen when Lucia is being driven down a highway. There’s also, in true Grand Theft Auto form, glimpses of a heaving strip club, and while we don’t yet have a name, it appears to host a special night called ‘Make It Rain Mondays.’
The Leonida answer to the Florida Keys also gets a look in during the trailer in the form of a string of islands covered in highways and beaches seen from overhead. A Pawn & Gun store seen as Lucia and her male counterpart (possibly named Jason) speed away, with a sign indicating it’s located in Port Gellhorn.
Other smaller locations we might see on the GTA 6 map based on sign names and other small details include Uncle Jack’s Liqour, a store the two main characters appear set to rob, the correctional facility Lucia finds herself in at the start of the trailer, an Everglades-inspired swamp location, an Arrow petrol station, and plenty of car customs stores (based on car decals spread across the video).
GTA 6 Location Names
Based on what we’ve seen so far, the GTA 6 map will have plenty to offer across a range of cities, counties, and other locations. So far, we’ve seen nods to three counties, Vice Dale County, Leonard County, and Kelly County. Vice Dale appears to be a reference to Miami-Dade County.
Beyond this, we know that one of the major cities on the GTA 6 map will be Vice City, which includes what is likely to be called Vice Beach (and its three aforementioned districts), and Port Vice City. Street signs indicate that the in-game airport, if it can be visited, is called VCI Airport – with the abbreviation possibly standing for Vice City International. Other locations mentioned by name include the neighbourhood of Hamlet, Stockyard/Downtown, and Waning Sands, a location in Leonard County.
GTA 6 Map Renditions
Ever since the 2022 mega-leak, fans have been working around the clock to create their own versions of what they think the GTA 6 map might look like. Players did this ahead of the release of GTA V, too – and surprisingly, when the game actually released their guesses weren’t all that far off the real thing. So far, the main fan project is the “GTA VI Mapping Project” over on Discord, which has been running for a number of years already. The map itself has multiple layers with building location indicators, and a bunch of detail on expected locations – you can check out the full map over on the website.
GTA 6 vs GTA 5 Map Size Comparison
While we don’t have official Rockstar confirmation on the size of the GTA 6 map just yet, many think the map could be up to twice the size of Grand Theft Auto V‘s, based on technical advancements since the previous game launched and leaked map information. We won’t be sharing the leaked map here for comparison, but we do know that regardless, this game looks set to span over a massive area.
Image: Rockstar Games
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